Chapter 25 · Chapter 25

The silence in the majlis deepened, cold and heavy as stone. Ammi’s hand remained suspended mid-air where he had attempted to steer me toward the low seat reserved for the claimant—a position meant to present an aggrieved woman seeking family redress. I did not take the seat.

I remained standing at the corner of the polished council table, the heavy silk of my dark abaya falling in unbroken lines to the floor, my tarha pinned firmly in place.

Ammi lowered his arm slowly, his ring catching the amber light of the chandelier. His mouth tightened into a thin line of displeasure, but in the presence of the assembled men, he could not break decorum. The law of the majlis had granted me the sole right to close this record.

"Hanan," Ammi said, his tone measured, coated in the soft restraint expected before elders. "The elders have convened to lift the burden from your shoulders. Five years of absence do not erase the obligations of the name. If Nawaf Al-Harthy held authority over your estate that exceeded his measure, the assembly will settle it tonight. You need only confirm the breach."

Across the expanse of the low carpet, Nawaf stood motionless.